The Castel Monastero sits in one of the most beautiful stretches of Tuscany; the Ombrone Valley, just 23km from Siena. Surrounded by four hectares of vineyards, chestnut forests and cypress trees, the Resort was originally a medieval village called Monastero dell’Ombrone; the records of the village dating back as far as 1050.
Touring London and southern England in style. Until recently, my lone memory of London dated back to the mid-1980s.
I was a poor college student at the time, and I spent a few weeks in England when I took a classical music course at the University of Oxford. OK—that description is a bit dramatic. Really, I took a class offered through my small university, and the class happened to be taking place on the Oxford campus.
Move over sangria: Spain has a new obsession and it’s the gin and tonic!
I had never been a fan of gin and tonics. My husband Dave used to drink them when we first met, but I never developed a taste for tonic water. To me, it always seemed like an old-fashioned drink that should be served in a gentlemen’s club as (male) patrons talked politics and smoked cigars by a fireplace. Martinis and wine were more suited to my lifestyle.
Malta’s history goes back to many hundreds of years and additionally archaeologists have discovered certain artefacts of which date close to around 4,000 BC. St Paul was also said to have been shipwrecked on the Island in around 58AD coming back from Rome. He is said to have converted the people of Malta to Christians and in essence made the Maltese people the oldest Christians groups that was exterior to the Middle East.
Dwelling place of the prosperous and prominent, Monte Carlo exudes vogue and panache. The locals walk the streets with a strut; you can smell the money. The town is a charming mix of posh city living and amazing white sand beaches. Monte Carlo is a small city; the preferred way to discover is by foot. The cobbled streets and restricted alleyways are home to a fascinating collection of petite shops, bars and restaurants.
Zurich’s venerable hotel, Baur au Lac, boasts a history as breathtaking as its Alp and lakeside setting. Opened in 1844 by Johannes Baur, the property hosted the world-premiere of Wagner’s Die Walküre, with Richard himself performing, and Alfred Nobel’s former secretary, Bertha von Suttner, conceived of the Nobel Peace Prize in one of the hotel’s salons.
I arrived to the shores of Stockholm by sea. As our ship came up to the river city, the golden spires thrust up through the belly of the fog. I could hear Stockholm long before I saw her. Bells tumbled over one another and the lap of the sea along the pier called to me.
Exploring Monte Carlo on any budget
I’m inside the Saint Nicholas Cathedral of Monte Carlo, in Monaco. It is a cavernous church with tall, white stone walls, arches, and pillars. Gold-plated murals line the domed ceiling. Stained glass windows portray biblical tales. Rows of maple brown pews are adorned with red velvet cushions. And the priest’s words are echoing off the walls, making it very hard for me to understand his French.
